New Berlin High School graduates highest-achieving class

NEW BERLIN — Principal Hattie Doyle knows the New Berlin High School class of 2014 is headed for great things.

She’s already watched so much success unfold for the group, which graduates Friday at the school’s Pretzel Dome.

Her students performed better in statewide Prairie State Achievement Exam testing than any other class in school history, with 25 out of 63 students meeting or exceeding state standards in all areas. The school also claims nine Illinois State Scholars, which is the largest group New Berlin has seen in years.

At the heart of the class’s success are students like J.D. Eason, who has already taken strides toward achieving his goals. Eason will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the fall in hopes of becoming a fighter pilot.

Eason said he’s always intended to follow the example of his grandfather, who also served in the Air Force. Next school year, he’ll get that chance.

“He never tells the same story twice,” Eason said. “With the good times, the bad times and all the traveling he had to do, he’s just a huge inspiration, no doubt.”

Eason has directed his entire high school career toward earning a spot at his dream school. Doyle said that ambition is evident in his attitude as well as how he spends his time both in and out of the classroom.

“He flies over town all the time and takes pictures,” Doyle said. “The bus will be driving to the track meet, and he’ll take pictures and send it to the school. He’s an all-around great kid.”

For Eason, high school has always been about taking the next step and the most academically challenging classes to put him closer to a fighter pilot’s seat.

“My whole high school career has been very competitive,” Eason said. “The awesome part about this school and this small town is that you really have the opportunity to do anything that you want to do.”

Joshua Mueller, too, is looking forward to his post-graduation plans.

Mueller will pursue a mechanical engineering degree at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, but at the heart of his future career is a passion for art.

“I’m an engineer, but I pull a lot on art,” Mueller said. “If you have the art side and the creative side, you can see different solutions to the same problem.”

Mueller recently earned a national medal in the 2014 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for his handmade music box. The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers will honor him June 6 on stage at Carnegie Hall in New York for his achievement.

Doyle said Mueller’s passion for the arts expanded beyond his classroom and to the benefit of his whole senior class. Mueller and his father designed an elaborate castle interior, complete with artificial flames, as the decor for this year’s prom.

“We’re a little town, but I like the high school because you get that small-town feel with big opportunities,” Doyle said.